Riga Mortis - Charlton Athletic (H) 19/04/16

[Worthy4England]

That'd be another game for you coz they play in Wimbledon?

If results go right they would be playing a game in Kingston-upon-Thames.

At this rate I'll be getting them confused with Third Lanark, who always used to win the football card...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

That'd be another game for you coz they play in Wimbledon?

If results go right they would be playing a game in Kingston-upon-Thames.

Indeed - Ye Olde Original Dons are in the playoff positions. That'd be nice - it's about four miles from my "gaff".

Tell you what, you northern souls can have Accrington coming up automatically. I'll see what I can do.

[Enoch]

At this rate I'll be getting them confused with Third Lanark...

Ha, ha, I'd forgotten all about Third Lanark!

[Worthy4England]

At this rate I'll be getting them confused with Third Lanark...

Ha, ha, I'd forgotten all about Third Lanark!

Always a shrewd pick on the football card...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

You could make a case for saying tonight is our most important game of the season. Obviously it means nowt to our league position, but it means a lot to Charlton. And more importantly, it’s the closest approximation we’ll get to a League One game. So let’s see what we’ve got for next season.

Of Saturday’s starting line-up, only two (Wheater and Heskey) are out of contract over the summer. But let’s be brutally honest here: if the board get their way we’ll be shut of (in approximate order of desperation) Mark Davies, Darren Pratley and Ben Amos.

Although I’ve nothing against them personally, I’d “rest” Davies and Pratley tonight, along with Wheater and dear old Emile. We need them to know we’re planning for a future without them. If Dervite is fit, I’d start him – he may be the most senior centre-back on the books next season, unless this mythical Big Ugly B*stard suddenly appears.

If he’s not fit, I’d drop Derik back in alongside Holding and see how he does. Oscar Threlkeld is back from an impressive loan spell at Plymouth, mainly spent in defensive midfield; he’s out of contract and we need to decide if we give him an extension.

I’d start Woolery instead of Heskey, because although the youngster isn’t the finished article, he ain’t gonna be if he gets three minutes a week. I’d play Trotter (whose wage is likely to be much lower than Pratley’s, and thus much less of a priority to shift) in midfield instead of asking the poor bugger to rumble round up front. And I’d probably be tempted to give Samizadeh 15 minutes toward the end.

Yeah, we might lose. We might lose anyway: we usually do. And in the other remianing games - at playoff-chasing Cardiff, at home to promotion-chasing Hull, at relatively rich Fulham - I’d happily play Davies and Pratley, let them earn a move. But tonight, I’d look to the future.

[TANGODANCER]

Whichever side we pick, whoever plays or doesn't, we have to attack from the off and show some dominance tonight. Far too many time we get pushed back en bloc and when we get a chance to break ( and this is not a revelation but a long time statement of fact by many people) we have nobody forward to take advantage. How many defenders do we need? Do all eleven of the opposition come forward into our half at once? As far back as Kevin Davies up front he won Jussi's goal kicks in the air time without number only to see nobody up with him. Quite where or when this masterstoke tactic came to be I can't remember, but at times it's so barren of bodies forward that the only way is back. Deryk and even Mark Davies get slated as lazy when losing the ball when looking around for somebody to pass to. On Saturday. the number of times Clough and Heskey were around our own box was amazing. Opposition might not be so keen to charge at us if there was a chance of a break and score. What better chance, with absolutely nothing to lose, than have a change of tactics? Go for it and.......COME ON YOU WHITES........

[TonyDomingos]

#BWFC team to face @CAFCofficial: Amos, Threlkeld, Wheater, Holding, Maher, Derik, Pratley, Vela, Davies, Heskey, Clough

#BWFC subs: Rachubka, Moxey, Danns, Dobbie, Wilson, Woolery, Walker

[Prufrock]

Oh, plenty to guess at there!

Holding LB, with Threlkeld in the middle with Vela and Davies is my hope. Means Pratlet wide, if not quite wide enough.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I reckon Maher LB, Oscar RB. Front six as per Boro. No width at all, from anyone.

[officer_dibble]

Its a right back at left back, who knows which one.

[TANGODANCER]

And so we go to war a la Division One style. Mic man muttering pipe dream rambles about Maurinho and not a sign of Anthony Axford being good for wood, that's really worrying as he's the broadcast sponsor and...Ah, there it goes. Relax the wood song has just appeared on sound. "Antony Axford, Good for woooooodddd"

Anyway, on with the motley. Why did I think it was a 7-45 kick off ? Mic man cheering us up wondering is this the worst Bolton side ever? Seems we should all have a good laugh...? Ten to go.

[TANGODANCER]

Live from the Macron for ninety minutes of scintillating enteretainment. The gladiators are champing at the bit and the match ref is ??? Elderson? No matter. Off we go....Heskey challenging for the ball...hmm. The visitors open with a throw and the visiting fans guessed at 100-150. Bless em. Not a full turnout then...Some chat about this and that, City have scored and....here come the Addicks and we give them a free kick. And...they have another throw that ends with the keeper. A bit of chat about Japanes names before we win a deflected corner. And....Clough and.....now Vela wins another corner. One side to the other. And......and.....another corner. Three in a minute. And.....and...Pratley and....MarkDvies flashes one past the post. Hmmmmm

[TANGODANCER]

Bit of early Whites pressure and Maher appears to be at left back. Free kick us and wallop......Mic men have a nother chat as one of ours is down. Its....Davies, but he's up and running. Bit more chat, Hudderfield this time then....a free kick uss that comes to naught. They try a sally at us and....here we go again. Pratley, Deryk, Davies and.......Threlkeld and...Deryk and...back to Wheater and then Amos. Good attack that. Some scores then....Heskey wins one on halfway. And.....and....Holding, cleared, there and back again as we keep possession. All ends back with Amos. Now they have a break at us and win a corner.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

BW Twitter feed says Niall & Oscar at fullback in a 4-1-4-1.

Marc Iles is wondering what the lowest league crowd at the Macron is. Someone has said 10,180 v QPR on Halloween in 2000...

[Little Green Man]

Is that the eighth right-back of the season?

[TANGODANCER]

And the corner is cleared and Pratley has to hold it up because there's no support. Now they come again and that Japanese fella has a waft at us. No problem. Some to and fro and they have a throw near halfway. Davies gets a mention but the vistors sally forth again. Cleared to Heskey who is offside. Free them and....mic men have a chat about whatever, then a charge forth but we reclaim. Our passing is apparently "decent" but little excitement to be heard. Davies, pass too hard and a throw them. Back with Amos who is man of the match right now in as much as he's had most possession so far. Now we have a free kick midway in their half and ....the keeper has it. Yung-yung-Suk (is that really his name?) starts a chat session among the mic men before I nod off for ten minutes. I could actually be doing a jigsaw puzzle here if the opposition hadn't just had a bit of bad from them then a break and a poor shot from Mark Davies. And a flash of excitement as Amos has to save a header.

[TANGODANCER]

Mentions of Wigan before Heskey gets assaulted and wins...a throw. And Derik causes a flutter as he drops one on top of the net. (Their net, by the way). Now, we sally and....Pratley is offside. Long wallop from them gets a throw in our half before Deryk gives them a free kick. And....in it comes and.....and..."Whipped in" and.....cleared to Vela, Davies, Clough....and Threlkeld runs offside. Now they sally and.....Cousins and....Pratley wins it back before they reclaim it and Texiera goes forth. Jackson does well and.....now Clough goes but is blocked off for a throw. We come again and Maher tries a shot that the keeper saves. The Addicks come again and.....Maher does well and gets it back to Amos.

[TANGODANCER]

Holding and Threlkeld do well but it ends back to their keeper. Mic men are actually talking about the game as we get a free kick via Mark Davies. And.....Wheater and....cleared for a throw. And....Clough, Threlkeld and....they get a throw. Now then, they come, we clear via Deryk "(Lovely play by Bolton" ), says the man, but it goes to them and a volley goes awry.
I think a goal for us about now would be nice. Clough goes, Vela does well, crosses, Heskey, Pratley, Heskey....headed clear and it all ends with a wallop from their keeper that ends up with Amos. Clough figures again, Pratley thinks it's a corner. It isn't and a goal kick them. Now they come forth and Lukman? lashes one not where it is a threat.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Is that the eighth right-back of the season?

I started trying to work this out but it got too depressing...

[TANGODANCER]

Six mins to go and....Clough goes but loses out and we get a throw instead. Ohhh Davies has a shot blocked and....Clough is offside after a late flag. Maher heads the clearance forth and we sally again. They win it and come at us before Holding knocks it out for a throw. Flashlights in the stands before Texiera comes but we clear and then the Addicks find a bit od space and move forward. Lukman and then that Suk chap .....sucks...according to micman. Free kick us on halfway. High excitement with more mobile flashing as mic men ......have a chat about Rochdale and Gillingham. The Addicks come, we clear and Luckman gives us a free kick for a foul. Almost half time and.......more chat and....one minute added. Come on lads. Offside them, free kick us and........mic men not claiming excitement but Zac lashes one to no one in particular as half time sounds. 0-0